UALR’s College of Business recognized BKD LLP and its staff who are UALR alumni at a luncheon May 8 for the firm’s significant philanthropic support over the last 20 years to the accounting program. BKD is one of the top 10 CPA and advisory firms in the country.

“BKD’s partners are personally committed to supporting quality accounting programs,” said Steven D. Warren, CPA, regional managing partner at BKD. “That’s why our financial support is in the form of personal contributions, rather than firm contributions. It’s our way of ‘giving back’ to the universities that do such a great job of preparing graduates for careers in business.” Warren serves on the College of Business Advisory Board.

“With its quality business school and significant presence in the educational community in central Arkansas, UALR is uniquely postured to address the growing needs of Arkansas’ high school graduates,” he said. “I have personally supported UALR’s School of Business because I believe UALR can make a valuable difference in the quality of higher education in central Arkansas and in the lives of its students.”

BKD has approximately 2,000 personnel in 31 offices, located in 12 states including Arkansas, with clients including closely held businesses, publicly traded companies, governmental entities, nonprofit organizations, and high net-worth individuals. The company’s matching program has enabled the significant contribution. It encourages partners, employees, and retirees of the firm to give financial aid to the accounting departments at colleges and universities where BKD recruits. Known as the BKD Accounting Education Fund, gifts are used for salary supplements for accounting professors, expense supplements for accounting departments, and student scholarships. BKD matches $1 for each employee dollar for contributions ranging from $50 to $500.

The majority of the company’s collective gifts to UALR have been directed toward the accounting program. “These contributions are used to fund the BKD scholarships for our students and to cover program and faculty expenses that are not covered entirely by state funds,” said Dr. Robert Oliva, chair of the UALR Department of Accounting. “With the recent addition of a comprehensive graduate program, including the only graduate tax program in Arkansas, we have incurred additional research expenses. BKD’s contributions help us maintain the expected level of performance for our programs. But most important, particularly to our students and graduates, BKD has been very supportive in the area of placement. They are always a part of a group of national and regional accounting firms that conduct campus interviews and seriously consider our students and graduates as prospective employees.”

The 2009-2010 BKD LLP Scholarships were recently awarded to Leigh Green, Tiffany Stuart, and Emil White, all accounting majors.

BKD employs six UALR alumni in Arkansas offices including Konstance Harding, who received a B.B.A. degree in finance in 2004 and a B.S. degree in accounting in 2008 and now serves on the tax staff; Meagan Rayburn, who obtained a B.S. degree in accounting in 2007 and now works on the audit staff; Randy Smith, who holds a B.S. degree in accounting in 1976 and is now a partner at the Pine Bluff location; Kathy McGraw, who earned a B.S. degree in education with minors in English, art, and journalism in 1973 and now works in sales and marketing; Pamela Lamb, who has a B.S. degree in business administration from 2004 and now works in the wealth advisors division; and Penny Lloyd, who graduates this month, received the Goosen Outstanding Accounting Major award, and works in the Pine Bluff office.

BKD employees who attended the College of Business luncheon included Ryan Underwood, managing partner; Bill MaGee, partner and South Region recruiting coordinator; Angela Gentzler, recruiter; Stacey Atchison, manager and recruiting coordinator for UALR; Harding; Rayburn; and Lloyd. College of Business Interim Dean Jane Wayland, Dr. Oliva, and Will Elliott, director of development, thanked the BKD staff members for supporting the University’s accounting program.

UALR’s Department of Accounting began offering two new master programs – the Master of Accountancy and the Master of Science in taxation – in 2008. Other graduate programs include the MBA with an emphasis in either accounting or taxation and graduate certificates in accountancy or taxation.

Going through the graduate tax program allowed Jerry Unser the opportunity to work full time during tax season at BKD. “I did have a good tax season and it was a good experience for someone who has been away from day-to-day accounting and tax work for a lot of years,” said Unser. “It was the tax program at UALR that gave me the opportunity to update my tax knowledge and make the transition from Blue Cross Blue Shield to BKD.”